Abstract

Introduction. Some studies have shown that the presence of bradycardia in hemorrhage-caused-hypotension is associated with a better prognosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare bradycardic and tachycardic responses to hemorrhaging in a pre-hospital setting and to evaluate the outcome.

Patients and methods. All patiens were adults (>18 years) with tachycardia and bradycardia hypotension (hemorrhaging) in a pre-hospital setting. We compared a tachycardic group with a bradycardic group using the following criteria: age, gender, APACHE II on admission, trauma vs. non-trauma patients, outcome (survival) and the use of vasopressors.
Results. Over a two year period, 107 patients were screened. The tachycardic group was younger in age than the bradycardic group. Tachycardia was significantly more common in males. The bradycardic group had better APACHE II on admission and also better outcome (survival). Mortality was lower in bradycardic patients than in tachycardic patients.
Conclusion. Bradycardia is a real phenomenon in hemorrhaging patients in a prehospital setting. It might be associated with both better APACHE II on admission and better outcome.